Ghost Method Naruto
by Tokikohime
Summary: Naruto is abandoned by Kakashi for the final exam. He stumbles across a power long forgotten, and ends up bringing about a power the gods themselves cannot comprehend. War is on the horizon. Will he follow in the footsteps of the previous Ghost, or will he stay true to his way? only time will tell. no pairings, not good with romance. First story in YEARS. New power unleashed! !MA!
1. Chapter 1

Naruto was sad. Kakashi had ditched him to teach Sasuke for the finals. Apparently, Kakashi couldn't keep to his own motto. Naruto left the hospital downtrodden, moving the training grounds to at least attempt to improve himself. He trained until he passed out, sometime late in the evening.

While he was asleep though, he had a dream. Or what he thought was a dream. It felt like when he walked within the seal, to see the Kyuubi. But, instead of sewers, there was nothing. He could feel a voice, guiding him. It was strange, because he could not hear this voice. He followed it all the same. After walking for what seemed like hours, he arrived at three pedestals.

These pedestals were interesting. On the left one, there was a card. It was blank, but seemed to be made of metal. The pedestal it was on seemed to have no color or form, it simply was. Naruto would almost say the card was floating, but it wasn't.

The middle one held a sword. It also had a note, which Naruto decided to read.

'_He who wields this blade need to fear death. He who wields this sword need not hesitate. None may stop the eternal tempest, and none can kill that which exists within multiple worlds.'_

This confused Naruto very much, but he decided not to dwell on it. He decided the sword would look awesome, and went to reach for it. He was assaulted by images though. Images of him slicing through thousands of people, filling the sky and the ground with blood and fear. He stepped away from the sword, rather terrified of what else he would see.

He moved to the last item, a shard of some plastic item. It was a deep blue, and seemed to radiate cold. Naruto reached to touch it, and was assaulted by images again. These images merely showed him controlling water without even a stray thought. He saw himself raising the ocean and launching it at the land, drowning all of his enemies, but ruining the land and killing many who were not enemies.

He moved to the card, interested in seeing what images would assault him there. Instead of images however, he felt something. He felt whole, as if there was a part of himself that was missing, and this card returned it. He grabbed the card, hoping to try and get actual images instead of feelings, but to no avail. The voice that led him here returned, and this time Naruto could hear it well.

'_**Do you accept the power of Idelis, the Kinslayer? Do you accept the Forbidden power that not even gods have mastered? Do you accept the power of the Ghost Method?**_'

Naruto was puzzled. The Ghost Method? And Idelis, who was that? NAruto didn't let it bother him though. The card felt right, so he held it tighter.

"Yes, I do."

'_**Then so be it. Accept the power that was sealed away, and barred forever from all worlds. Accept it, and master it as Idelis the Equalizer did. Show the world the power it has long forgotten.'**_

With that, Naruto awoke. Suddenly, he knew. He knew what the Ghost Method was, what it could do, what it was for. He understood. The Ghost Method was no mere control exercise, nor was it a technique. It simply was. He saw Idelis' Memories on the subject, came to understand it. He felt his chakra growing, and he smiled. He knew he had perfect control now.

A month later, the final exam came. Many people were excited. Daimyo's and Lords of all kinds came to watch, looking for the best shinobi to hire. The Sandaime however, was worried. No one could find hide nor hair of his favorite genin, one Naruto Uzumaki. Not that anyone tried all that hard. However, Sarutobi could see young Naruto down there, in the arena. His attire was new, being a dark blue of everything but his boots. Overall, he looked far more dangerous, and far different than before.

NAruto wore deep blue cargo pants. Though no one knew it, these pants were covered in seals that many had never heard of. The Ghost Method had helped to process the memories of the one who last used the Ghost Method, Idelis. And Idelis was a Seideiri. A species that was highly adept at seals. Seals had little differences, being a highly strict art. Naruto inherited his amstery of seals and the Ghost Method, as well as numerous other things, from Idelis.

Naruto also had a combat vest on, with the same seals as his pants. His hands were covered by fingerless gloves which also had seals for hidden surprises. His feet were covered by Combat Boots that also had numerous seals. And of course, the most noticable feature was his deep blue trench coat. It had no unique features, like the Yondaime Hokage's did. It was simply a deep blue trench coat. His hair had also been dyed a deep brown.

The seals were all basically the same, with a few variances. Common across all of his attire was his camouflage seals, which allowed his clothing to blend into any environment with naught but a thought. There were also weight seals, which increased the weight of everything he wore. And there were storage seals hiding various weaponry which he had managed to pilfer over his time being hidden from the world.

If one looked closely enough, they could see his focus, his intelligence. One of the few in the audience that now knew the true him couldn't help but smirk at seeing him. The Fire Daimyo had been rather surprised to see NAruto show up in his palace near the start of the month. He had heard of the Uzumaki being alive, and had tried to get an audience with him years ago, to explain the truth. But alas, it seemed Konoha simply did not respect any authority that was not itself. It made what the Daimyo had to order easier.

The Daimyo's counterparts mirrored his smirk. When they had originally been contacted by the Uzumaki Lord, they were rather surprised. The pact that Uzu no Kuni made with every country was still strong, though no one could act on it. It was assumed that Konoha would cleverly bar every attempt to speak to the boy that the Daimyo's made. For the boy to slip from Konoha's grasp so easily, just to speak to the Daimyo was something amazing in and of itself.

The Month until the exams was spent on training. Naruto found he learned at prodigal rate. He had contacted the Daimyo the day he received his Ghost, that card from the dream. He had suddenly simply gained the information of the pact of Uzu, and moved to act on it.

He learned many things from the Daimyos. He learned Politics, Law, and Manners. He learned swordplay and strategy from their generals. He learned anatomy and alchemy from their assassins. And he learned to be at peace, and how to remain focused, from their monks. He mastered these skills within a month, showing merely a glimpse of what he could do using his ghost.

However, he did find that he could not use the Kage Bunshin while he was actively using the ghost, as his chakra could not be divided correctly for the technique to work. As he looked across the audience, he saw the Sandaime stand, and knew that the tournament would start now. He couldn't help but smirk in anticipation. It was time to show Konoha why betraying their allies was a BAD thing to do. It was time to show the world why the Uzumaki were feared.

**End Chapter Notes;**

**The Ghost Method is an ancient method for controlling the energy that makes up any one world. It comes with a high price, though Naruto will not be suffering that price due to Idelis. Idelis' full history will be explained later. For now, know that Idelis was the most feared being in his world. He was responsible for the end of that world, and the permanent sealing of the Ghost Method. However, not even the gods knew the depths of his power, and just how many burdens he held upon himself.**

**NAruto will be gaining some of his abilities, but not all. The ones he does gain will be severely stunted as well, as Idelis did leave behind limiters and restrictions within that card. Speaking of, that card will also be explained later, as it does have bearing on the Ghost Method. **

**Naruto learned at an impossible rate, I know this. However, you either underestimate the power of the world, or don't know just what the Ghost Method is yet. Knowledge is something that exists. The human mind stores knowledge within it, and when the human dies, they convert into energy. This energy is the very energy that makes up the world, and it is often recycled to bring more life. Irregardless of the fact that it can stretch infinitely. I guess it's jsut lazy though. Can't blame it there. **

**Read of Review. I'm not a person who writes normally, and this struck me as a fancy and random thing. However, I'm a little unstable right now, and hope writing can help me mentally. Going insane is fun and all, but I'd rather not go so insane that I start killing people for fun. Believe me, I'm pushing to it. **

**Review any mistakes you find, but please do be respectful about it. There is a difference between flaming and criticizing. **_**Being rude or offensive will not improve my writing, horrible as it is. It will only cause me to shut down and dissuade me from continuing the story!**_

**I believe this is enough for now though. Don't worry about me losing the idea though. I've known of Idelis and his little history for a while, and find myself fascinated by it. Truly, he was a man to respect and fear. **


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: It occurred to me that I forgot my disclaimer for the last chapter. I apologize for that. I was more occupied dreaming of True World Domination and getting this story up in the first place. So, without further ado, I'd like you all to count this as the previous chaps disclaimer as well!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Naruto franchise, or anything of the sort. I do own the Ghost Method idea, though it isn't something with any value to it. Darn it.**

The stadium was quiet. No one wanted to make a sound, lest they somehow break the concentration of these two fighters. Many were cheering silently for the Hyuuga, wanting him to put down the one they all considered a demon. Those who thought of one Naruto Uzumaki in such a way fully believed that the Hyuuga would win this, and many were already betting on such.

However, a select few of rather high standing were betting otherwise. They knew the boy they had trained. They watched as Naruto stood there, in the center of the arena, across from Neji Hyuuga. His stance was calm, and his expression empty. He showed nothing, and seemed to simply be unaware.

The Sandaime was wary. Naruto looked far different, and had a far different attitude than he did days before. He was also annoyed. Naruto had completely disappeared near the beginning of the month, and had stayed missing throughout it. He had hoped to have Jiraiya train the boy over the month, to insure his loyalty. Of course, the training wouldn't be too much.

He hoped that the seal he had Orochimaru place on the boy in the forest was still there. It was more than a simple Gogyou Fuuin after all, and would work as a backup plan in case the boy was no longer loyal. He hated to be so cruel to the boy, but he would do what was necessary to keep Konoha at it's natural point, higher and stronger than any and all other hidden villages.

The proctor started the match then, choosing the time when Naruto was paying the least attention. Or, so he believed. Neji however, did not take the opening. He decided instead to gloat and rant. He stood calm, with an arrogant smirk on his face. He felt completely confident that he would win. This Dead Last of the academy would not be able to stand against him, as fate had already decreed that he would win.

"You should just forfeit. Fate has already declared that I will win this match." His tone was haughty. He spoke with the utmost confidence. However, Naruto seemed to simply ignore him. His stance did not shift even slightly, and his expression did not waver. Neji grit his teeth. How dare this commoner ignore him? The arena was quiet, but many civilians were thinking along similar lines. Sakura Haruno grit her teeth in annoyance. She thought Naruto was simply trying to act cool again.

"Did you hear me?" Still no response. Neji decided he would invoke a response. He charged forward, chakra lacing his fingers as he lashed out with them. He was surprised when instead, he passed through the Uzumaki. He continued to attack, constantly trying to hit his enemy, but only passed through him with each attack. After a while, he gave up, jumping away and taking the basic jyuuken stance. He glared at the image of his enemy, activating his byakugan to enforce it. However, upon activating his doujutsu, he saw the truth. There was no enemy. In fact, there was no chakra beyond his and the proctors in the arena. He looked about, gritting his teeth. Before he could look behind him however, a voice sounded out, seemingly coming from everywhere. As the voice rang out, the civilians and those without active doujutsu saw the image waver and fade. The more experienced ninja identified it as an after image.

"You know, I studied the Byakugan. The White Eye. Gives nearly perfect vision all around the user, and allows users to see the tenketsu of others. Believed to be able to see everything. Of course, that's a rather big lie. It can't see the truth, no matter how it's user may try."

"So you know of my bloodline then? Then you should also know that you have already lost." Neji had his arrogant smirk again, believing his words to be true, irregardless of the fact that he still could not find his enemy. All he got in response was chuckling.

"Spoken like a true Uchiha, Neji. I suppose those rumors about your clan being related to the clan of thieves aren't rumors after all." This caused Neji, and every other Hyuuga within hearing range, to bristle in rage. How dare this commoner say such a thing? Neji grit his teeth in rage. Suddenly though, the world changed. It was the kind of change one doesn't notice until he blinks, but with his byakugan active, Neji saw it happen anyway.

'_Genjutsu? No, that's impossible. My Byakugan is active! I'm immune to genjutsu! And how is it that he is hiding from me? I should be able to see his chakra!'_

The world was red, with small stones all about. The sky was a deep red, and everything seemed dead. This world, it wasn't right. It felt dead, barren, lost. It felt as if by all rights, it shouldn't exist.

"Eyes like the Byakugan are a crutch. Your clan uses them exclusively, and barely at a fraction of their full capacity. But, I suppose that's how all of Konoha is. A village of traitorous fools that believes itself beyond mortal approach. It will be a pleasure to do battle with you, traitor." And suddenly, the world shifted. Neji found himself back in the arena, instead of the world of red. Naruto stood before him, in old armor much like what Hashirama and Madara had worn. Only, instead of red or brown, it was a deep blue. In his hands, he held a simple katana. It had no defining features, but something felt off about it.

Suddenly, Naruto was a blur of motion. He appeared before Neji without warning, sword swinging down. Neji had little time to dodge, and did so by back stepping quickly. He managed to only get his vest cut, but he had no time to counter. Instead, he found himself flying into the wall from a powerful kick. The impact hurt, leaving cracks across the entire surface of the wall.

When Neji looked up, he saw that Naruto has sheathed his sword. He was pointing two fingers at Neji, and his expression was completely blank.

"Fuuton: Kuukitanjuu (Wind Release: Atmosphere Revolver)." Neji heard the name, but saw no chakra flying at him. He assumed it didn't work, until he exploded in pain. When he looked down, he saw blood flowing from wounds obviously inflicted by an air element technique. He fell to the ground, coughing. Everything hurt, breathing felt as if he was lighting his lungs on fire. He tried to stand, but just couldn't. Within minutes, he passed out, the blood loss getting to him.

The crowd was stunned. They had never expected the dead last of Konoha to win. They had assumed that he would lose and the Hyuuga would reign supreme, as is their birthright. They were proven wrong though, and they were shocked at the brutality of it. It was obvious to those of experience in combat that Naruto had been going for the kill.

The only thing that saved Neji was his positioning in the wall, having thrown the bullets of their marks by mere inches. Naruto had accounted for him falling out of the wall, not being to shocked to move at all.

With the fight ended so obviously, Naruto turned around and walked away. Dispelling his shock, the proctor called the match.

"Winner of the First Round of the Chunin Exams is Uzumaki Naruto of Konoha!" This however, made Naruto stop and turn.

"Of Uzushio, not of Konoha. I am not one of you traitors." This caught everyone off guard. Was he declaring himself a missing nin? The Daimyo of Fire country merely smirked. The proctor however, took offense.

"You may have beaten the Hyuuga kid, but your still a Konoha Shinobi!"

"The Fire Daimyo has already freed me from service to Fire Country. This in turn frees me from the service of Konoha. The other Daimyo have already agreed to accept me as I rightfully am, the Daimyo of Uzu no Kuni. If you wish to challenge it, then I am happy to carry out the Fire Daimyo's will and execute you on the spot for treason." His tone was even throughout it all. This made the proctor grit his teeth. How dare this punk speak such lies? How dare this child accuse him, a jounin, of treason?! This child would have to be taught a lesson. However, before he could move to attack, the Fire Daimyo stood up. His voice rang clear and loud, carrying all across the stadium with ease.

"Naruto Uzumaki is not a Konoha Shinobi. Attack him now proctor and Konoha will be wiped out entirely for wrongfully invading another country." His voice was strict. It left no room for argument. Naruto continued walking on, his point made. Many of the audience was shocked into silence. The civilians were stunned, but some eventually slipped out of it. Those that had, were glad. To them, it meant the demon wasn't protected by the Sandaime now.

To Sarutobi Hiruzen however, this meant something far different. He felt cheated, as if he had been betrayed or wronged. How dare the Fire Daimyo decide the fate of one of his ninja? How dare the Fire Daimyo free the villages greatest weapon from the village? Was he insane? Did he not realize that hiruzen would no longer get to see the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki suffer now?

To Jiraiya, it was a blow to the gut. How was he supposed to guide the child of prophesy now? He decided then and there, that no matter what, Naruto had to die. The Child of Prophesy had to be under the control of Konoha. There was no other way to insure his loyalty.

To Orochimaru however, it meant something far different. Unlike his teacher and team mate, he had been listening to everything said. He quietly passed the order to the rest of his forces. Naruto Uzumaki was not to be harmed during the invasion, unless he himself attacked first. In which case, he was to be knocked out. He knew what the Fire Daimyo had done. By accepting Naruto as the Uzu Daimyo, he potentially secured an ally for Fire Country. One that would have sought revenge otherwise. Orochimaru knew that Uzu allying with the major countries like it apparently had would be a boon to everyone.

In the stands however, Sakura was seething. How dare Naruto say such ridiculous things? There was no country such as Uzu! She would have the beat that into his brains. She moved to go do so, walking down to the waiting stands. She arrived there just as Gaara teleported onto the field, waiting for his opponent to deign that the world deserved to see him. Sakura looked around for Naruto, but did not see him. After looking around for a bit, she decided she'd hit him for this too once she found him and turned to leave.

Meanwhile, Naruto stood beside the Fire Daimyo, having used a basic Ghost Method technique to bend the energy of the world, moving him from point A to point B in an instant. He stood calm and collected, unbothered by the fact that he was surrounded by royalty.

The Sandaime stood up, clearing his throat to make an announcement. The Fire Daimyo merely glanced at him, before shaking his head. From the body language alone, he could already tell what the Sandaime Hokage was going to say.

"Citizens of Konoha and prized guests. It has been decided that we will wait an hour for Sasuke Uchiha to arrive for his match. Please wait calmly." And so, the wait began.

**Going to end the chapter here. Sadly, migraines make it hard to write in the same manner that leave me very much unable to think. The migraine likely would have ended earlier if Toki has shut up, but it seems that isn't meant to be. Then again, it's always amusing to pick on her :D**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto. If I did, I would be trying to use it to take over the world. Don't ask how, I'd find a way. And yes, I would do so. I can be real persistent when I want to be. I just so happen to have a disorder called extreme laziness syndrome. It's when you look at work or anything that requires effort and just go meh. I'm trying to circumvent it though. Laziness has gotten rather boring.**

The audience within the stadium was annoyed and confused. They had been waiting for an hour and a half now, past the amount of time that the Sandaime Hokage had said they would wait, and Sasuke Uchiha, the Star of Konoha, had yet to show up. The Sandaime showed no signs of wanting to move to the next match either. It looked like they would be waiting for quite a while. Suddenly, a whirlwind of leaves appeared in the middle of the stadium, causing Gaara to shunshin down in case it was Sasuke.

The whirlwind lasted quite a few minutes before finally parting, revealed Sasuke Uchiha and Kakashi Hatake. Although Kakashi had his mask on, it was obvious he was smirking. Sasuke was as well, and even had his eyes closed to give Gaara such a pleasant opening.

"Try not to hurt him to much Sasuke, Suna are our allies and we do need them to stay that way after all."

"I won't make any promises Kakashi." With that, Kakashi used the shunshin to teleport away. He appeared beside Gai, who gave him a thumbs up and a brilliant smile. Kakashi however, had already taken out his book and beginning to read. A pity that Guy never really cares.

"Good afternoon my hip rival! A fine entrance that was!" Guy however, was ignored. He grumbled about it for a bit, before focusing in on the match. He did, however, notice that Kakashi was not paying attention to the match. He was one of the few in the stadium who weren't.

Needless to say, Sasuke wasn't doing good. He had thought that by charging at Gaara at speeds similar to what Lee had been using would be enough, but it wasn't. He had charged in before the proctor had started the match, kunai in hand and ready to slash open Gaara's throat. However, he quickly found himself unable to move, and being picked up and thrown by the sand.

He had assumed that Gaara could only use the sand in his gourd. Instead, Gaara had used the sand on the ground of the arena to send him flying. This angered him. How dare Gaara do something that he had not foreseen? He would show Gaara his place.

Removing himself from the wall, he quickly went through several handseals, ending on Tiger. The next second, a huge fireball was flying at Gaara. Sasuke smirked, believing that he had already won. Before he could turn around however, the sand shot up. The fireball was hit, and snuffed out, before several thousand grains of sand turned into deadly chakra infused bullets.

While Sasuke was dodging the sand bullets, Gaara was directing the rest of his sand in a pincer movement. Sasuke saw it a moment to late, and was caught within a coffin of sand. However, instead of crushing Sasuke, Gaara simply drained him of all his chakra. Within moments, Sasuke had passed out. The proctor was forced to call the match in Gaara's favor. With that done, Gaara released Sasuke from his sand and teleported back to the competitor's booth. He briefly saw Naruto give him a nod of respect.

Everyone was stunned. How could the Star of Konoha lose? He was the greatest ninja alive! Surpassing even the first Hokage! Hiruzen grit his teeth in anger, but there was nothing he could do. Before the proctor could call the next two fighters down, a voice rang out.

"I forfeit!" '_I'd rather keep my skills hidden, there are quite a few chunin and jounin level fighters near me right now._' When everyone looked toward the voice, they saw it to be Kankuro, the puppet wielding sand nin.

"Winner by forfeit, Shino Aburame. Next match, Shikamaru Nara versus Temari Sabaku. Will the fighters please make their way to the arena?" The proctor took the forfeit in stride and continued on, obviously not caring that a sand nin had quit. Many of the civilians were only slightly ignored, not getting to see a Konoha ninja take down a Suna ninja.

However, that changed with this match. With the two fighters standing in the open, the civilians could see that the blond girl was against a Nara. This made them automatically assume the Nara would win. They were quite happy to watch this match.

"Are the fighters ready? Begin!" With that hastily and careless start, the proctor leapt away. Shikamaru instantly threw a kunai at Temari while leaping back, giving him time to run through handseals for his signature jutsu while Temari dodged to the side to avoid the kunai. Shikamaru was unprepared however, for the kunai thrown in retaliation, and was forced to quickly dive to the side, abandoning his handseals.

Temari followed up by unfurling her fan, and swinging it. The next thing Shikamaru knew, he was one with the wall. And in a painful way. Before the next gust of wind or whatever hit him, he moved out of the wall and to the side. While running, he tossed some shuriken in her direction. They flew in the opposite direction within a second, slamming into the wall that Shikamaru had previously been in front of. He noted this, but threw more shuriken anyway.

Temari silently scoffed at the attempt, swinging her fan and hurling another gust of wind towards him yet again, sending the shuriken back at him. Of course, he dodged this with ease. She noticed him narrowing his eyes at the shuriken before turning his focus back on her. He quickly made some Bunshin, sending them forward to distract her. She scoffed at this, already knowing what they were. She swung her fan again, hoping to hit Shikamaru with the gust of wind. The clones dispelled, and the wind made contact. Only for Shikamaru to explode into a cloud of smoke and more clones to come running toward her. In her momentary rage, she missed the log that signals a substitution.

After getting rid of the illusions, she was forced to dodge back. Kunai had suddenly come from the shadows of the trees, forcing her to dodge back. While doing this, she never noticed the kunai Shikamaru had left in the forest. She did however, notice Shikamaru, before he substituted. She quickly turned around, having seen the kunai that was in his former place. Shikamaru was there, in the position to use the Nara clans famed Shadow Possession jutsu. She quickly substituted away herself, dodging the shadow and placing herself within the forest. However, she found she couldn't move.

She had never noticed that Shikamaru had used the substitution jutsu at the same time she did to place himself within her blind spot. She had never noticed that his appearing behind her had caused her to switch with the first thing that came to mind, the kunai Shikamaru had substituted with to appear behind her. She had been caught in his Shadow Possession, and forced to walk out to the proctor. When Shikamaru raised his hand, so did she. What happened next though, shocked her.

"Proctor, I forfeit. I'm almost out of chakra." Many of the seasoned ninja had failed to buy this excuse, especially those of the Nara clan. But, many of the civilians did, face faulting immediately at the surrender, but agreeing with the reasoning. Temari was stunned, she had thought that he would force her to surrender. As he walked back to the stadium, she felt something within her stir.

**And so ends this chapter. Sadly, this took me far longer to write than it should have, and it still wasn't what I wanted it to be. I've been having severe problems with headaches lately, and it makes it painful to think and write. I'm a gamer too, but I'm finding myself no longer able to game nearly as well, now that thinking at all is agonizing. They should pass within a few days, but until they do, updates are gonna be slow.**

**I'm new to writing, so I'm trying to do this carefully. The Ghost Method means a lot to me, and sadly, I still don't know the full range of it's abilities. All I know is the basic gist of it. I'll research more on it later, preferably when I can think. I'll bid you all a good day/night, and hope you live well. **


	4. Chapter 4

The stadium was quiet. They hadn't expected the Nara to surrender. Many of them thought he would continue on and kick ass just like all the other Konoha Shinobi. Before the civilians could break out into a riot, the proctor moved on.

"Winner of the final preliminary match is Temari Sabaku." After Temari returned to the fighters booth, the proctor once more spoke out. "We will now have a half hour long break to prepare for the next matches. Please wait patiently."

As the civilians bustled about waiting and getting refreshments and whatnot, some Chunin level shinobi moved out onto the field and used several jutsu to reset it. The wall where Neji had been slammed was fixed, and the kunai left behind from Shikamaru's fight cleaned up. Within half an hour, the field looked good as new. However, no one signaled that the wait was over, as the hokage wanted to wait until the civilians were ready to continue watching.

They spent a full hour waiting, the time being evening now. With all the civilians back in their seats, the Sandaime signaled to start the next part of the exams. However, the Daimyo and nobles were getting restless. The exam should not have taken this long.

"The First match of the Semifinals begins now! Naruto Uzumaki and Shino Aburame of Konoha, please make your way to the arena!" The fighters both appeared in whirl of various things. Shino bugs, and Naruto wind. The proctor grit his teeth, but put on a fake smile anyway and continued on.

"Are the fighters ready?" After glancing at Shino, the proctor started the match. Shino sent a swarm at Naruto ,but halfway there, they grew confused and returned to Shino. This caused many experienced Shinobi to raise an eyebrow. Shino tried again, but the same result occurred. Before he could try a third time, he found himself flying forward. He skidded along the ground for a bit, regaining his footing and finishing the sudden forward movement by sliding along the ground. He looked up in time to see a boot heading straight for his face. He had no time to block, and found himself embedded in the wall behind him the next second.

As he fell out of the wall, it was obvious he was unconscious. Everyone was stunned at the quick but brutal display. Once that shock wore off, the civilians immediately began shouting for Naruto's death for assaulting a clan heir. No one noticed Orochimaru signaling for the invasion to be called off due to time. He felt it was obvious that Konoha would be it's own downfall soon enough, and that he was not needed in bringing about it's end. Instead, he would try to seek an alliance with an obvious rising power. Of course, he would also launch a covert operation to acquire the Uchiha Heir. He needed the Sharingan to complete his goals after all.

While watching the next few unimportant(to him) fights, he pondered as to how he would be keeping the Sharingan. He knew of the time limit on his body stealing technique. He knew that such a time limit would prevent him from keeping the Sharingan permanently. He also knew that the rumors of having the Eternal Mangekyo would make one immortal were false. Otherwise, the world would already be in ruin due to Madara Uchiha's temper and hatred.

He decided he would have to wait quite a while before he could take Uchiha Sasuke's body. His technique had to major a flaw, so he decided he would try and fix that flaw. He knew he didn't need to make the technique permanent, so he decided he'd look into how to keep at least a single trait from each body he takes over.

The civilians and citizens of Konoha however, were getting angry. Many of them hated NAruto Uzumaki, and to see him with such a level of power angered them greatly. They were a simple people that operated with a simple rule. Everything always goes our way, no exceptions. They were Konoha after all, the greatest of the hidden villages. If they so desired, they could topple gods! So how dare one little boy that contained the power of Nature's Wrath dare to defy them? Didn't he knew they hated him? Didn't he know that what they wanted was what they got? Who did he think he was? As time passed, their anger slowly grew. They never noticed that the daimyo had all been watching them. They never noticed when the Daimyo and their guards left, taking NAruto with them. The Sandaime and Orochimaru however, had. Orochimaru took only a slight interest in it, and decided it was time for his forces to pack up and leave. He slipped away unnoticed, the Sandaime to lost in thought to react or notice it, and his ANBU to complacent to bother noticing it.

The Sandaime however, was pondering what had been shown today. He already knew who he was making chunin today, the exam didn't really matter as he ultimately held the choice over his forces. He knew he would have to place some form of control seal on NAruto now, there was no way he was going to let that much power go. The political power alone would be more than enough to warrant placing such a seal. Of course, he could use the seal to make Naruto share the Uzumaki clan secrets with Konoha. After all, the Uzumaki were a powerful clan, and such power should only belong to the greatest of humanity, Konoha.

Of course, Naruto was also the villages jinchuuriki, which meant that the Daimyo couldn't free NAruto from service even he wanted to. While the Daimyo was their lord and ruler, he wasn't their boss as far as Konoha was concerned. He would have to show the Daimyo that lying to someone in such a way would not be permitted. During his thoughts however, he had failed to notice the Daimyo leave with Naruto. He signaled an ANBU over. When the ANBU was left kneeling before him, he spoke his orders.

"Place a guard around the Daimyo. They are to prevent him from leaving. He'll be held in detention until he learns his place."

"I'm sorry sir, but the Daimyo has already left with the other Daimyos. They left about 20 minutes ago."

"Then go and arrest them for high treason to the superior power!" The Sandaime growled.

"They have already left Konoha sir. For all we know, they are outside of Fire Country."

"I see. Then summon Danzo and the council. We will be razing the Fire Country Capitol."

**I apologize for the long wait for an update. I'm afraid several things interfered this time around. The migraines have gotten worse, but now they are a pain I am familiar with and can withstand easier. Now, instead of just my brain feeling as if it's being crushed, my entire body does. Far easier for me to bear. **

**It still hurts to think, making it difficult to plan this out, but I figure I can jsut do what I do when fighting and wing it. It'll go somewhere at least. And yes, I realize I am making Konoha out to be rather arrogant and spoiled. The citizens of Konoha have lived within the cradle of power for quite some time, and have gotten rather high and haughty off it. To be honest, the only clan that is a part of Konoha that I ever respected was the Uchiha, and not because of their Sharingan or arrogance. No, the Uchiha are forced to bear a curse of discontent because they have their bloodline. They've managed to survive quite well too. Of course, this is with a few notable exceptions. One being Madara Uchiha with his Wrath and jealousy. Doesn't surprise me that he died a virgin, actually. The other being Obito with his jealousy and stupidity. Also doesn't surprise me that he also ended up still being a virgin. **


	5. Chapter 5

The Sandaime was annoyed. Danzo had opposed his idea to invade the Fire Capital. He had argued that invading the capital would be viewed as high treason. Did he not realize that the Fire Daimyo had betrayed Konoha? Did he not realize that Konoha was the only real power, and that anyone who defied Konoha was committing treason?

He was annoyed for more than just that as well. Naruto, his weapon, his toy, was missing. This angered him greatly. How did Naruto slip away from his forces so easily? Konoha was the best village for a reason! Nobody should be able to evade them in such a way! He decided Naruto would be placed in the bingo book as a missing nin. He felt that D rank should be appropriate as a ranking, as he himself had never trained the boy.

He turned his attention back to his paperwork, silently cursing Danzo and the council for Vetoing his choice to invade the capital. He really did not understand why the council could not see that Konoha was in the right to invade!

**-YAY! DIVIDER LINES!-**

The Fire Daimyo however, was also conducting business. He had sent a small missive to Naruto, to confirm the alliance between Fire Country and Whirlpool Country. He knew the boy would accept the alliance, being grateful for the assistance the Fire Daimyo and the other Daimyo had all given him.

After sending the letter, he had called in his lead general. He quickly worked with the general to develop a strategy that would keep Konoha at bay. After the general had left, he summoned Danzo, who had arrived the day before. Working with Danzo, he was able to set up a small section of the City and Palace that would be reserved for shinobi. While Danzo wouldn't train emotionless tools like he had done in Konoha, he would make sure the orphans and volunteers he did take could at least rival chunin level ninja. He kept most of his ROOT forces out on missions however, keeping the Fire Country safe from all threats.

Danzo also made sure the Samurai and Monks under the employ of the Fire Daimyo better understood how ninja fought and how to best fight against them. He made sure that even the lowest level of samurai or monk could take down a genin level ninja. He also made sure the military leaders of Fire Country were aware of all that was happening within the country, relating to military of course. The movements of bandits and mercenaries, as well as Konoha's movements, were all monitored and reported by Danzo and his ROOT.

The Fire Daimyo couldn't help but smile as he thought about Danzo. The old war hawk had proved smart. He hadn't thought that Danzo had seen the corruption within Konoha, and he also hadn't thought that Danzo had truly respected the First Hokage. But then, even someone of his station could be wrong.

He had been told by Danzo that Hiruzen had wanted to invade Fire Countries capital. He had laughed at the very idea of it. Even if the Sandaime had ninja on his side, he was still outnumbered by one hundred to one. Even if most of those number were monks or samurai, both of those types of fighter could still use chakra just as well as any ninja. Konoha would have been wiped out if it had made such an attempt.

He decided he would send a scroll to Konoha. It was time to inform them that they were now a criminal state. He wouldn't invade them just yet, but he would make them wary. He would no longer permit missions to go to them, and would cut off all funding to them. Of course, he wouldn't be telling them that he wasn't invading. He would however, send reinforcements to villages near them. And, cut off all roads to them. That would also be an important tactical move.

**-I found more lines! :D -**

In Uzu, Naruto was carefully studying the scrolls he had gotten from the Daimyo. HE knew he would accept each of the alliances, but he knew it best to know what he was getting from them as well. Of course, what he was losing was obvious, but it was also best to know exactly how much. He knew Uzu was rich with resources, and he would happily trade them for more power. The more power his shinobi held, the more likely they were to survive another invasion. Sometimes, having friends in high places helped.

He had also heard of the Akatsuki, and sent one of his ninja gotten from Iwa to contact them. He needed them to know that going after him would bare no results. He would do this by letting them attempt to extract the Kyuubi from within him. He knew they would fail. The shinobi was simply going to inform them to come and retrieve him so he could prove his words. He would go without a fight, but for now, he would keep an eye on his village and make sure it could last the month he would be gone without him.

Finding out about the problems with Kyuubi was a rather annoying time, he had to admit. He was after all, human. The more power he could get, the better. The fact that he would have to work for it even if he could access it made it more appealing to him. Sadly, it was not meant to be. The Ghost Method blocked the Kyuubi from granting it's power. The seal that held the Kyuubi was so reinforced, that it made Naruto wonder if it was even there sometimes.

Of course, this meant that the Kyuubi simply could not be removed. It also meant he lost a considerable amount of knowledge and power, as well as a possible friend, in a fell swoop. He would have to learn how to weaken the Ghost Method's hold on the seal at some point, at least enough to give the Kyuubi a chance to rant. Being cooped up like he was had to be annoying. Sadly for the Kyuubi, he was going to be locked up within Naruto for a very long time. No matter.

Naruto stood up and moved to leave. The secretary was out, likely to lunch, so he left a note detailing what he was doing. Then he simply vanished. The Ghost Method had given him much, but there were some things he would never use. Such as the rather odd teleportation. Opening so many black holes didn't seem wise. Instead, he used his speed to move to the training grounds. He wasn't the fastest in the world, but he was by no means slow.

He knew what he wanted to practice, and sent several Kage Bunshin to work on his chakra control. While he could control it perfectly, he also knew one could learn new things simply by doing the same way over and over again. He might learn a new way to control chakra simply by using his kage bunshin to practice it. Besides, while practice made perfect, it also kept it that way. He personally would work on his Ghost Method: Phantom Extension. The ability to wrap someone in an illusion of pure fear seemed to be simply devastating. Even more so when no one would bother to dispel it.

He spent several days alternating between training, sleeping, and working. Finally, after a week, the country was ready and he had measures in place to insure it would stay that way. He was free to leave, and moved to the waiting point. He made sure to inform everyone he could of his departure of course, wouldn't do to worry the people. They had only just gotten their ruler back. They would likely panic if he was gone without anyone noticing for a month.

Arriving at the scene revealed the two akatsuki members he was waiting for, Itachi Uchiha and Kisame Hoshikagi. He rather liked these two members, from the reports anyway. Itachi knew how to keep his emotions in check and Kisame knew how to use them to his advantage. Two people worthy of respect.

"Naruto-kun, are you willing to come with us peacefully? Itachi drawled. You could see in Kisame's eyes the hope for a challenge. A pity it wasn't meant to be.

"Don't call me 'kun'. It makes you sound like a pedophile. And yes, I'll be going quietly. I have to keep my end of the bargain after all." Naruto's voice didn't show much beyond his irritation at being called 'kun'. But, it also held an undertone of power. Of authority. Kisame recognized it immediately, with Itachi sensing it half a second later. He decided to respect Naruto's wishes one the matter. Kisame was in a similar situation. They all vanished within the next few seconds, heading for the extraction point.

It took only an hour to arrive at the scene, but then, the scene wasn't very far away anyway. Only a mile or so away. And of course, it was a cave. Naruto idly wondered about villains and their caves. Must of been some level of subconscious factor that determines whether or not someone would become a villain. As he entered, Itachi and Kisame disappeared from behind him, appearing on the fingers of the statue in their places.

"Stand in the middle of the cave please." Pein spoke loud and clear, with authority gained from years of leading people. Naruto simply decided to listen to him solely because this was Pein's jutsu. Therefor, he would know how to best make it work. Once he took his place, and the Akatsuki had made the hand sign needed, the mouth of the statue opened. Through the Ghost Method, he could hear the screams from the statue.

"_FOOD! THEY BRING ME FOOD! MY FOOD! MY POWER! I WANT IT BACK!_" The voice sounded foul, but insane and pained. Naruto ignored the dragon of pure chakra coming at him, and instead focused on delving into the statue. This was not something he expected. This statue was a living thing, of sorts. He could tell it had a soul, but it was weak.

Within a second, he appeared within it's mind. He looked about, silently asking it to lead him to where it wanted. To somewhere they could speak. He found himself within a moonlit land within a second. Before him stood a tree. Instinctively, he knew this tree was the statue he saw outside.

"Who are you?" Was Naruto's immediate question. The Ghost Method could only tell him so much.

"_Tree. World Tree. Stolen from, forced to evolve, forced to become wrong._"

"Yggdrasil? No, you would be a fragment of Yggdrasil. What do the humans of this world call you?"

"_Juubi. Ten Tails. Myth, lie. Untrue, unreal. Thieves name me demon._"

"The Juubi?" It took him a moment to make out the flashes he was seeing. Then it clicked. "The humans stole from you? What did they steal that caused you to have to turn into a demon to gain it back?"

"_Power. Fruit. My fruit. My power."_

"Power? Chakra then? You are the source of the chakra that humans wield? I see. I would like to give you mine then. It was not a power I ever wanted. And I possess a power of my own now."

"_You are Ghost. You are Card. I cannot take my power from you. I want my power, but your Ghost locks it away!_"

Neither Naruto nor the tree had noticed the shadow of power that prevailed around them. If the Juubi had, it would have known this power was not it's own, and therefor did not belong within it's mind. They never noticed the power force an understanding to come between them. Nor did they notice it grant Naruto a new power. One that even gods did not possess in full. The power to take a fragment, and make it a whole.

Naruto reached deep within himself, feeling the Kyuubi. He knew now that the power the Kyuubi had belonged to the Juubi. But he also knew the Kyuubi was a living being just like every human and the Juubi.

"Coexistence is a difficult thing to deal with. Often times, one must sacrifice for another to be happy. It is an ever flowing cycle that will never end. It is a cycle that has too much on it now, and it left reeling for balance. I do wish to return the power of the Nine Tails to you, but doing so would kill the Nine Tails. And the Nine tails is like you, it is alive. I do not know how to solve this issue."

"_We wait. Power will return. I will wait. My power will come back."_

"I apologize Juubi. It pains me to see another living being like this." NAruto grimaced. And left. He would find a way to help the Juubi. He never noticed the Juubi pass power to him. He never noticed the power the Juubi had granted him taking hold. The Juubi knew who he was, who he was meant to be. It would wait, while Naruto brought it's power back to it and enhanced the cycle in turn. Naruto spent the next couple hours watching the technique that Pein used, trying to help it get to the Kyuubi. In the end, he was let go. Pein realized that whatever was holding the Kyuubi back would not be releasing it.

However, NAruto stayed to speak with the leaders of Akatsuki, Pein and Tobi. He revealed what he knew, and what he felt needed to be done. It took quite some time, but he managed to get both to agree to his plan. It wouldn't be the Moon Eye plan, but it would be so much more. Of course, Naruto made sure Tobi kept the Moon Eye plan in mind. You never knew when such a plan might come in handy.

**My chapters are slowly getting longer and longer. I wanted to introduce Idelis here, but something told me he simply would not care about something like this. By the time of this story, Idelis has long been dead. But, through the Ghost Method, he is never truly dead. The Ghost Method forces the holder to be aware of the world. The more powerful the card, the powerful the Ghost. And the more powerful the Ghost, the more aware of the world and how it works the user is forced to be. Naruto is aware enough to know that the Juubi needs to reclaim it's power, lest the world start to wither and die.**

**SoraHuuzuke: I thank you for the advice. It turned out to simply be my eyesight getting worse. For the most part, they headaches are gone. But i'll be sure to remember that in the future if they return :D **


	6. Chapter 6

It had been a month since Naruto had gotten the Akatsuki on his side. He had found that when he died, the Kyuubi would be released, but would be forced to take double the time to reform. It would take nearly thirty years to reform, but it could be done. He had made sure to share this info with Tobi, knowing it would be needed for Tobi's plan. Tobi surprised him however, by instead stating that he would rather try Naruto's plan. He wanted to find a way to allow the other Bijuu power of their own, while returning the power of the Juubi to the Juubi.

He knew it could be done, but not what the best way to do so was. He simply had to figure that out. But, the issue with the bijuu and akatsuki was not his priority. He had to handle the Alliance Renewal Request for Konoha. He had seen the original scroll that contained the previous Alliance Contract. He knew what Konoha was asking for was not what was on there previously, regardless of what they were trying to say. The contract was at least blunt and straight forward.

1. Hand over the genin level ninja of Naruto Uzumaki so he may face his execution with the honor reserved for his kind.

2. Initiate trade between Konoha and Uzu, with a 2% tax on all goods from Uzu, and a 15% tax on all goods from Konoha. There would, of course, be a fee to the village that breaks trade. Uzu would have to pay a good 20% of it's treasury, with Konoha paying a good 5% of it's treasury.

3. Uzu would hand over all scrolls on anything to do with being a ninja to Konoha, and would not train ninja of it's own. Any missions it got would also be sent automatically to Konoha.

4. Uzu would not bar the passing or trespassing of any Konoha ninja for any reason. Uzu would essentially have to let Konoha ninja go where they please within Uzu.

5. Uzu would not be allowed to host ninja not of Konoha, under any circumstances. Doing so would be taken as a declaration of war.

There were many other terms, many of them leaning strongly in Konoha's favor. So Naruto decided to play a game. He sent the scroll back with a letter of his own. It was quite simple.

Term one. Konoha would hand over all ninja not related to a clan to Uzu. The property and possessions of the ninja sent would also be sent with them, and transferred in full to Uzu.

Term two. Konoha would hand over information on all of it's weaknesses and defenses to every hidden village and Daimyo.

Term three. Konoha would hand over the children of all the clans in Konoha, as well as allowing Uzu to grab all secrets of the clans with no resistance met. They would then hand over any clan secrets missed.

Term four. Konoha would pay a permanent 'ally fee'. This fee would be equal to seventy-five percent of all of Konoha's income. If the fee gets intercepted by anyone, Konoha would pay double the fee as repayment for the delays caused.

Term Four. Konoha would hand over Sasuke Uchiha to Uzu so that he may face his execution with the honor someone of his kind. It was specifically mentioned that the Uzukage was aware that Sasuke would demonstrate no honor.

Term five. Should Konoha declare war on another country, they would pay Uzu a fee equal to 10% of their treasury at that time. Uzu would also be permitted to refuse to follow Konoha to war, and could even help the country that Konoha declared war on without breaking the alliance.

There were also many other small details in the scroll, such as the removal of all Sharingan from the village due to the belief that all Sharingan users are inherently evil for possessing a bloodline that relies heavily on hatred. Of course, he made sure to include that uzu would not be required to hand over any Shinobi or person, jinchuuriki or otherwise, that held any form of power or reverence within the country of uzu. And if Konoha wished to push the issue, they would have to trade a number of shinobi from their village. The number would vary upon the perceived worth of the shinobi or person that Uzu is giving up. That number chosen could not be contested.

After sending the scroll off, Naruto decided to go and train. He knew he needed it to keep ahead. He moved to a private training ground, and set about drawing up his chakra. Shaping it to what he wanted with a mere thought, he formed a blade of pure chakra. He focused, never moving from his spot, perfecting his control and ability to hold the chakra in the shape he wanted. He slowly began to understand the chakra better. He understood what it was, what it was meant to be. Instead of demanding it do as he asked as so many shinobi did, he instead asked it to.

Immediately after showing the chakra respect, he felt it easier to control. It seemed to have no weight to it, no resistance. He knew it would fight with him, and he would fight with it. He and the chakra, a fragment of the juubi, once mighty and proud, would fight side by side. This entire process took several hours, with no one finding their way to the training field. By the time he finished, it was late at night, with many already in bed. He made his way home, intending to get some rest. He learned something about the Ghost Method today. It didn't just give someone control of all energy. But rather, it made it easier for the person to understand that energy, and opened a way to communicate with it.

The Ghost Method wasn't just offensive, like most bloodlines. It wasn't a weapon. It was an ally, a friend that opened the doors most couldn't even see. He went to sleep content. Through the Ghost Method, he knew he would shake the world. But he also knew that such power corrupts, and he was slowly becoming more corrupt. But, he knew that this was a good thing. He couldn't help bit shiver in anticipation as he slept. Soon.

**Naruto is growing in power and understanding. This comes with a price, but often, a price paid could be of more benefit than what you are paying it for. The Ghost Method is truly dangerous, as it gives the holder the ability to grow in power in such a way that they can topple gods. Such power corrupts. But there is a reason power corrupts. This was a short chapter, but I will try to make another one soon. Have a nice night, week, or month. **


	7. Final Chapter

It had been several years since Konoha had tried the false treaty. There had been political backlash from Naruto's method of reply, namely Konoha trying to use it to show Uzu as arrogant and demanding. They tried to stir unrest against Uzu among the other ninja villages, in a ploy to gain allies against Uzu. All Naruto had to do to counter this was show the original document that Konoha had sent. This turned what they were trying to do completely against them.

The years had not been kind to Konoha either. After their failed political ploy, they had lost several allies that Naruto himself had earned for them, such as Wave country and Spring country. Three months after Naruto left Konoha, being emancipated, and moved to Uzu, Sasuke followed him. Sasuke had seen the power that Naruto had, and wanted it for himself. At first, he had tried to demand his way through using his clan name. When that didn't work, he had tried force, and had been put down rather soundly.

He had been forced to retreat, and ended up being taken by Orochimaru. Three years later, he killed Orochimaru and fled Oto, moving to hunt down Itachi with the three ninja he had taken from Oto. After two full years of searching, he had managed to find Itachi. However, he was rather easily beaten. Itachi forced him back, catching him off guard by dispelling the genjutsu he had cast at the start of the fight, causing Sasuke to weaken himself greatly. Upon Sasuke's defeat, he lost his Sharingan eyes to Itachi, who then used them to try and defeat Tobi. The battle was short lived, but drawn out by the constant illusions.

Due to Naruto working with the Akatsuki, Pein never attacked Konoha. Instead, he worked to find a way to keep the Rinnegan, and give the eyes he had back to the original owner, that being Madara Uchiha. His research served to greatly help Naruto in his, and both worked well together as a consequence. Within four years of Sasuke leaving Konoha, Akatsuki had melded with Uzu. Ame was also fused with uzu as a consequence, but chose to be a puppet state so they would have their own freedoms. Pein did what he could for Ame, but ultimately the permanent depression in Ame remained. Eventually, Madara Uchiha was resurrected and informed as to the current situation. Ultimately, it was Madara that found a way to resurrect the juubi with it's full power, and allow the Bijuu to keep their full power.

He had come up with the answer while speaking to the juubi, being fascinated by the fact that it was sentient. Seven years after Naruto left Konoha, the ninja world lost chakra. All Chakra gained by humans was returned to the Juubi, until the Juubi was at the same level of power that it had held when humans first stole chakra from it. However, many still had chakra left, and that was taken and given to the bijuu, until each bijuu had their full power.

Of course, the mistakes made in the past left the world with two Kyuubi's, who came to be symbols of balance. The Bijuu came to be lords of great power in their own right. Never again could they be sealed, as the human race had lost it's chakra. Konoha was eventually wiped out, not used to fighting without chakra, and having never bothered to train. Even in death, they all blamed Naruto for their deaths. Even in death, they refused to believe that the chakra they had come to rely on was truly gone.

**I apologize for ending it as I have, but I simply cannot see anyway to continue this story, and I've learned what I wanted to about the Ghost Method. If someone wishes to adopt the story, please, inform me. I'd love to see what someone else could do with the Ghost Method. Sadly, I rushed this story to much, and did not pay enough attention to detail and plot. The ending may not make sense, and I apologize for it. I simply have other things on my plate right now, and can't be bothered to check it over. Good luck to you all, and remember to enjoy life while it lasts. It can be cut short so easily.**


End file.
